Chapter 59

"Chen Pi stopped and looked at Chun Shen coldly. He kicked Chun Shen's lower leg joint, and Chun Shen fell to the ground."

"Chen Pi continued forward. Chun Shen climbed up, only to find that he couldn't stand up; his legs had no strength at all."

"He dragged his legs, wanting to catch up with Chen Pi, but Chen Pi soon walked further and further away, slowly disappearing into the darkness."

"Chun Shen held the money up, watching Chen Pi leave. On his dull face, a look of despair finally began to appear, and his tears gushed out."

"He didn't know how long he had been crying in the middle of the embankment road when Chun Shen suddenly stopped crying, because he saw Chen Pi walking back and taking the copper coins from his hand."

"Chen Pi said to Chun Shen: 'I thought of a way; tomorrow you go beg for food and get that one wen for me.'"

"Just like that, Chun Shen began to hold his bowl and beg for money on the street, but a long time passed, and he still hadn't begged for a single wen."

"One day, Chun Shen was begging on the street; the weather was too cold, and he curled up into a ball."

"In a daze, he suddenly felt a figure sitting beside him."

"This was a big man with his upper body bare, his skin particularly white."

"This big man seemed completely unafraid of the cold, taking a few breaths in the cold wind. He looked down at Chun Shen."

"The big man said slowly: 'Kid, when I was on your boat last time, I forgot something. Where is my flag?'"

"Chun Shen's body began to tremble; he recognized that this person was the Cannon Head who had killed his whole family!"

When the audience heard that the Cannon Head who killed Chun Shen's whole family had appeared, they all became nervous.

The characteristics of this man were simply too obvious.

His whole body was snow-white, he was shirtless in the middle of winter, and he always said the calmest words while doing the most ruthless things.

His Exemption Flag was originally given to Chun Shen's father to thank him for giving him a bowl of water.

But after discovering that the flower drum heads were not enough, he immediately turned his back on them and beheaded Chun Shen's whole family.

Only afterwards did he realize that his flag hadn't been taken away.

He searched on the river for many days and finally found Chun Shen.

Poor Chun Shen was like an ant at this moment; the outcome of meeting this Cannon Head could be imagined.

Zhang Lin continued at this time: "Chun Shen recognized the Cannon Head but didn't dare to speak."

"The Cannon Head said: 'I heard from the people at the pier that there was still a little one alive. Our boss said that an Exemption Flag is an Exemption Flag; since the people are gone, the flag must be taken back.'"

"The Cannon Head said while patting Chun Shen's hair: 'Good kid, give the flag back to me, and then go see your father and mother, okay?'"

"Chun Shen was shivering all over; he looked at the Cannon Head blankly and didn't speak."

"The Cannon Head picked up his bowl, put it in his hand, and then wanted to pick him up."

"Chun Shen immediately shrank his head and didn't let him hold him. The people around all stopped to watch the Cannon Head pulling Chun Shen."

"The Cannon Head looked around, his expression somewhat impatient, but he still didn't let go. He squatted down, took out a copper coin, and put it in the bowl."

"Chun Shen was stiff there; he stared at the copper coin and hesitated for a moment, then reached out to grab it. The moment he relaxed his strength, he was picked up by the Cannon Head and walked toward the river embankment."

"Chun Shen lay on the Cannon Head's shoulder, not struggling."

"He just gripped that one copper coin tightly, as if gripping his only hope."

At this moment, all the listeners clenched their fists.

One copper coin!

The one copper coin that Chen Pi A-si was so conflicted about, like a heart demon, had arrived!

Although it was given by the Cannon Head, Chun Shen's one hundred wen were now complete!

Chen Pi A-si could kill for Chun Shen, but where was he?

At this moment, countless audience members were calling for Chen Pi A-si, and some had even started to swear oaths.

"Damn it! If Chen Pi A-si appears at this moment, I won't call him a murderer in the future!"

"Me too! Come out quickly! Otherwise, Chun Shen will be taken away!"

"I'm convinced! Really convinced! Chen Pi A-si is so capable, why is he not here when the Cannon Head appears?"

"I beg him, come out quickly! As long as he comes out, I will definitely not mock him for returning empty-handed from the Mirror Palace, nor will I call him an old bastard."

"One hundred wen to kill one person, Chen Pi A-si, your glory and wealth have arrived!"

The audience kept shouting, and the atmosphere in the Sanqing Garden was both heated and tense.

Old Lady Huo in the second-floor box couldn't help but shake her head.

She didn't know much about Chen Pi A-si's past either.

For no other reason than that Chen Pi was too ruthless!

To be listed in the Nine Gates, there was no one who was easy to deal with.

Even Old Lady Huo, a woman, was proficient in plotting, killing, and internal fighting.

Not to mention Chen Pi A-si, who wore the word 'evil' on his face!

Therefore, the people of the Nine Gates all had their own pasts, and most didn't want others to know.

Based on Old Lady Huo's understanding of Chen Pi A-si, although this person was a heinous villain.

If Chun Shen had handed that copper coin to Chen Pi A-si at that time.

Chen Pi A-si would definitely have tried every possible way to kill the Cannon Head!

He was a poisonous snake; once targeted by Chen Pi, one had to be prepared to never sleep peacefully day or night.

But Old Lady Huo knew that reality was not a story; there weren't that many 'just right' moments.

Nor were there that many scenarios of saving people in danger!

Therefore, Chun Shen was likely in grave danger!

Sure enough, Zhang Lin did not respond to the expectations of the audience.

He just used the tone usually used by storytellers: "When Chen Pi found Chun Shen, Chun Shen was hanging from that tree on the river embankment."

"The rope was tightened into his thin neck, stretching it unnaturally long."

"Chen Pi only took one look and knew he was already dead; the small corpse was suspended in the air, shaking slightly in the river breeze."

"It was already dusk, and the river embankment was cold and deserted, with not a single person around."

"Chun Shen had been beaten to death; his face had already been smashed, and from the jagged wounds on his face, one could tell it was done with an oar."

"All the teeth in his mouth had been smashed, his chin had been half-broken, and blood dripped from his mouth into the soil at his feet."

"Chun Shen had not closed his eyes; his eyes were still open."

"Chen Pi seemed to see someone on the boat holding an oar with force, smashing it again and again into this child's face."

"And this child hadn't closed his eyes; every splash of blood could be seen clearly."

"Chen Pi looked at Chun Shen's eyes, and his own eyes also darkened; the anxiety in his heart was almost twisted to the point of breaking in an instant."

"He didn't know what was wrong with him; it was just one person dying."

"Even if Chun Shen hadn't died today, he would have died later, because people like Chun Shen just couldn't survive in these times."

"Just like now, what did it matter if he escaped once? He still died. He didn't die more comfortably, nor did he receive any justice."

It must be said that Zhang Lin's ability to tell a story and pull at emotions was superb.

Everyone knew that Chun Shen was just a small character.

No different from anyone else who could be frozen to death on the side of the road in those years.

But in Zhang Lin's storytelling, this person became vivid.

Even if he was a small character, he made the listeners unable to treat him like a stranger.

When a stranger dies, at most there is a sigh, because you don't know him, it's just a pity for a life.

But Chun Shen was different; the audience had seen him in his most vivid state.

They had seen him carefree when he had his family to support him and dared to throw stones at Chen Pi.

They had even seen his calm and dull state after witnessing his family's tragic death.

Such a fool, at any time, would not make people feel a ripple in their hearts.

But in Zhang Lin's storytelling, Chun Shen's encounters and experiences made people feel uncomfortable.

Chen Pi's feeling was very accurate; there was indeed an unventable and indescribable anxiety spreading in the bottom of his heart.

Stirring people, making them just want to scream to vent, although they didn't know what the point of doing so was.

The scenario that everyone expected—Chen Pi descending from the sky to save Chun Shen—did not happen.

This story was too realistic, realistic to the point of making one feel despair!

Zhang Lin also sighed at the right time: "This is reality."

"How many people in this world are like Chun Shen? No matter how hard they try, there will be no hope."